CHAMPIONS TOUR Ahern goes wire-to-wire to take Music City title by four strokes

He didn't take any chances with the water on the 17th hole this year.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) -- Jim Ahern wasn't taking any chances with a four-stroke lead on the water-lined 17th hole.
Choosing accuracy over length, he found the fairway with a 9-wood and closed with two routine pars for a 3-under 69 and a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Champions Tour's Music City Championship, only the third win of his pro career.
The first time Ahern played the Springhouse Golf Club course four years ago, he looked up at the leaderboard and saw he was in 16th place heading to the 17th. His ball went straight for the lake that runs along the right side of the fairway.
"So, I don't look at leaderboards anymore," he said. "When I got up to 17 it was into the wind and I probably should have hit a 5-wood, but that's what I hit into the water."
Instead, Ahern went for his 9-wood and drove it about 210 yards, leaving about 180 yards to the hole.
"I said, 'I'm getting this ball in the fairway,"' he said. "I was not going into that water. That's how crazy this game gets. You get thoughts like that. I've come a long way since four years ago."
Breaks tournament record
He set the tournament record with a 20-under 196 total, two strokes better than Isao Aoki in 1998 and Hale Irwin in 2000.
Rodger Davis and Jose Maria Canizares -- both tied for second at 11-under after the second round -- also birdied the first hole but couldn't cut into Ahern's lead enough to mount a serious challenge on the front nine.
Ahern essentially closed the door when he birdied No. 16, sinking a 4-foot putt and going to 20 under for the tournament.
Canizares shot a 67 Sunday and finished four strokes back.
Larry Nelson, designer of the Springhouse course, had six straight birdies on the back nine to shoot a 64 to finish third, five strokes back.